Discovery
by NightmareHeartx
Summary: Nagisa dies right before her graduation and Tomoya is heartbroken. A year passes, and Tomoya is still grieving her loss. Upon being evicted from his home, Kyou decides let Tomoya move into her home temporarily, but discovers something more lies between them. Kyou x Tomoya. Slight AU.
1. Her choice

_**Yes, a new story, and read my profile. My previous stories won't be finished.. you'll have to have watched Clannad and Clannad After story to understand this.**_

_**Rated T for : mild language, mature themes and mild violence. Will NOT be a lemon.  
**_

_**Btw, this is an AU… Not really, but some things are really different.. And yes, sadly Nagisa is dead, but it's to make the story more believable; Tomoya did truly love Nagisa, after all.**_

_**BTW, Nagisa died RIGHT before SHE graduates, not when Tomoya does and such. Basically, right before she and Tomoya get married. Therefore, Ushio is not in this fanfic.**_

_**enjoy**_

_A year had passed since Nagisa's sudden passing, during her second repeatance of senior year. She had fallen ill once more, and succumbed to her mysterious disease, dying before graduation. The incident had greatly shocked Tomoya, traumatized, had spent the literal year mourning her loss, refusing to exit his home he had shared with his beloved._

Kyou sighed, stretching, sitting on her couch. She had finished her first year at college to become a kindergarten teacher, and passed with a flawless outcome. Taking a break from college, she had dedicated her time off to hanging out with her friends, Sunohara, Kotomi, Tomoyo, and her sister Ryou

After Nagisa had died, the grief of their cherished friend had brought them closer together. Even Sunohara, whom Kyou constantly picked on, had become an important friend to the group.

Sorrow suddenly engulfed Kyou. Nagisa. _Nagisa. _The girl she envied most, yet at the same time, cared for deeply. Nagisa was her best friend, although she'd never admit it. She didn't know why at the mention of her name, she felt a mixture of emotions. Melancholy? Rage? Envy? Love? She could never tell.

Kyou knew the exact reason why she didn't know how to think of Nagisa. Nagisa had indirectly taken the man she had loved most.

She knew it wasn't Nagisa's fault she and Tomoya had fallen in love, but yet, Kyou had always longed to be the one embracing Tomoya, talking warmly with Tomoya, and even kissing Tomoya.

But the same outcome would've come if Nagisa hadn't been the one to take Tomoya from her; Ryou would have.

When Ryou had revealed her feelings for him, Kyou promised her she would hook Ryou up with Tomoya, attempting to pose as a good role model for her younger twin sister. She had tried her most to help them become a couple, setting them up on lunch dates and such, despite loving Tomoya.

However, it was at a tennis match where Kyou realized where Tomoya's heart had laid. Attending it, the pair witnessed a tennis ball injuring Nagisa, where Tomoya had carried her to the health department. This simple act of devotion had brutally shown Kyou that she could never be with Tomoya, and gave up her façade when her sister apologized to her, both crying.

Since then, Kyou ceased her love on Tomoya, but decided not to be bitter with Nagisa, knowing that it was invietable.

Though most of the time on summer vacation, she spent time with her friends, all of them were busy today, so she had nothing to do. Even her sister, Ryou, was out. Turning on her TV, she scrolled through the channels, hoping that there was something entertaining on.

_Scroll._

_Scroll._

_Scroll._

She groaned. Usually when she checked the first couple of channels, she refused to search through anymore, impatient. Turning off the television, for several second she sat there, stumped. Running off to the kitchen, she decided to eat a sandwich. She had a terrible habit of eating when she was bored.

She blinked, noticing there was no more bread.

She gasped, grinning to herself, an idea sparking in her head. She should visit The Furukawa Bakery, and greet them! It was a brilliant plan, yes, excepted of the wonderful Kyou.

After Nagisa's death, her parents rarely interacted with Kyou, usually when it regarded Nagisa's departure or when she had bought bread. She decided it would be a good way to meet them once more.

Xxx

Kyou trembled, standing in front of the bakery nervously. What would she say to them? Well, she could obviously use the excuse that she needed bread, but she wanted to feel welcoming towards them. She wanted to avoid the topic of Nagisa and Tomoya as much as possible.

Taking in a deep breath, she entered.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed cheerfully. As usual, Sanae intially did not notice her, as she was attending to her duties, but upon hearing Kyou's joyful voice, she turned around, grinning her trademark warm smile.

"Kyou-chan! It's been a while!" she started, running up the Kyou. "How are you?"

Kyou chuckled. "Well, I'm doing well." She started to stretch her head. "How are you?"

"We're doing fine; my breads aren't selling as well as they used to," she added worriedly, looking at her pastries. She was staring at an unusual rainbow colored one, and to Kyou's dismay, she pulled a piece out.

"Would you like to try a sample?" she offered sweetly. Kyou shuddered, disturbed by her pleasant expression as she tried to give her something that was totally unlike anything she had tried before… and that was not in a good sense.

Kyou had kindly declined, to Sanae's chargin. Changing the topic, the pair began to converse about their different lives, and how things had changed from their previous encounter. Kyou told Sanae how she was eager to become a teacher, and how she had moved out from her home, living on her own. Sanae explained to Kyou how Akio had quit smoking and was better in shape than before.

Kyou, for unspecific reasons, felt more and more anxious as she spoke with Sanae, too the point that she muttered quietly, "Have you spoken with Tomoya lately?"

Silence instantly shrouded the room.

For several moments Kyou was ashamed she was about to apologize, until Sanae answered, "Yes."

Kyou suddenly bolted upward. "Really? Is he okay?"

Sanae nodded. "He is, but…" Concern was edging her voice.

"Yes?"

Sanae hesitated, looking down at her feet nervously. "I called him. I asked him how he was coping, and he told me he'd be evicted from his home in 3 days. He'd used up all the money he had, and couldn't afford the rent."

Kyou, for a moment, was taken aback. How could Tomoya still be upset over Nagisa that he had neglected his job as an engineer?

Though reluctant to ask more, she couldn't resist. "Where will he go?" she inquired, voice quivering.

Sanae's face fell. "I don't know. I offered him to stay with us, but he refused. It stated the home reminded too much of Nagisa…" her voice trailed off. She was clearly troubled.

"Did you tell anyone else about this?"

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I was planning on calling someone today."

They both exchanged disheartened glances, both worried for him. The thing that disturbed her most was that Tomoya hadn't even bothered to turn to his friends for help. But then again, Kyou realized, Tomoya probably didn't think they'd help him; after he had been ignoring them for the past year.

Kyou was thoughtful for a moment. Maybe Tomoya could stay at a friend's house until he could take care of himself. Sunohara, maybe? No, he still slept at the dorm. Kotomi, perhaps? Possible, but she doubted he'd last a minute of her wonderful violin playing… or viola, whatever she played. Besides, she constantly traveled to America, and if Tomoya was to tag along, he wouldn't even know a sentence of English.

Tomoyo, too? But Tomoyo wouldn't be focused on him; after all, she was going in a top class university. She didn't want a burden.

Thinking of Ryou, she remembered that she still lived with Kyou's parents, and they would _immediately _disagree.

Knowing her one and only option, she sighed. "I guess I'll have to take Tomoya under my wing," she breathed, slowly taking out her phone.

_**So, that's it for this chapter! Sorry, it's sort of boring, but it really will get interesting as I go on. Lol.**_

_**If you don't understand something in the plot, feel free to ask, I'll explain.**_

_**I'll update once I get at least one review. 'Till then, nothing for sure. (Updates will be frequent, FYI!)**_

_**Oh, heads up, it's apparent Kyou, in her head, doesn't refer to certain people with honorifics (like, Sanae, when in person she calls her Sanae-san) because she views them as friends. Sunohara is the sole exception, while she likes him, she's used to calling him that. **_

_**R&R~! c: It's what motivates me to update quicker. C:**_


	2. Desire to muster courage

_**Well, it's as I promised. Once I get one review, I'm going to update. Since I got two to my pleasant surprise, I'm going to update! C: Yay.**_

_**I'm think about giving the chapter titles names, but, it'd probably just give away what's going to happen, lol. xD I may, though.**_

_**As usual, keep reviewing and giving me critiques!**_

_**Oh, and if you're wondering why he couldn't just stay with his father, did you guys forget the relationship they had? Tomoya never fixed the problem with his father because USHIO WAS NEVER BORN. No Ushio, no fixing the problem. **_

_**Btw, if you're wondering what those 'Xx's are, they're transitions. Like in the show? Yeah..**_

_**XX**_

Kyou bit her lip, tense.

"….."

" …."

She waited several heartbeats, worried that he wouldn't answer. To her relief, she managed to hear an utter.

"….Hello?"

For a moment a dark pit seemed to open in Kyou's heart, stinging her chest immensely. Tomoya had sounded so pained, so tortured, yet he had only rasped a simple greeting.

She gulped, not certain what to say. "T-Tomoya," she began uneasily. Swallowing, she managed to stammer, "It's me. F-Fujibayashi Kyou."

There was no initial response, and Kyou was vexed that he may not reply.

"..."

_Did he hang up? _She wondered privately. But it was impossible; her cell phone showed that he was still speaking to her.

Kyou decided to take control of the conversation. "Look, Tomoya…" She wasn't even sure that she should've called him by his first name, considering they didn't have much of a friendship anymore. "Sanae-san has told me that your home is going into foreclosure…and that you have no where else to go."

Well, that was an unintentional lie, she reflected, knowing that he could stay with his father. But, everybody knew the relationship they had… at least, Kyou did.

Silence met the other end. Kyou felt frustration starting to well up in her stomach.

"Tomoya, you shouldn't be neglecting your duties. We're worried about you. Ever since Nagisa—" She stopped abruptly. What was she saying? She shouldn't be talking so bluntly about Nagisa's death.

She was about to apologize, but then she heard a murmur from the other side of the phone.

"I'm useless without Nagisa," he told her plainly, "I have nothing to live for."

Kyou didn't know what to say. "Tomoya…I'm not letting you throw your life away. Friends help each other."

Tomoya didn't answer. Kyou sighed.

"So, I've made up my mind, and I don't want to hear your refusal. You're going to come stay me whether you like it or not, until you can find yourself a proper home."

Tomoya _immediately _balked at this, and Kyou could tell from the other side of the phone his hair was ruffled by her order. "_What?! _Don't just tell me what I'm going to do, like you're my parent or something!" His earlier melancholy was exchanged with mellow, yet powerful fury.

"What, then? Do you plan on living on the streets? You have no where else to go!"

Tomoya sighed. "We'll talk about this later."

"Meet me today at the Deiri Park, at 6 o'clock pm. Sharp. I'll be sitting on the bench. If you're not there, I'll pummel you into a pulp." She commanded.

Tomoya let out a grunt through the phone, which Kyou assumed meant, 'yes'.

"See you there."

Xx

Kyou sat on a bench in Deiri Park; five minutes until 6 o'clock. She attempted to keep a straight face, while deep within, she was sincerely concerned. There was a possibility Tomoya wouldn't arrive, and if Kyou tried to call him, there was a good chance he wouldn't respond.

Looking up from her watch, she gazed at the children enjoying themselves. She winced, reminiscing on how she was once a child and didn't have any worries. But that was in the past, and she needed right now to focus on her future.

She relaxed, smiling, unable to keep up her façade of intimidation. Watching children shroud the surroundings with joyful laughter had made her feel completely delighted. Their pleasure, their emotions… had somehow made Kyou feel young again. Of course, she was young, but she was no longer a child, and therefore, could not dwell on such inappropriate ideas for a woman her age. But she wanted to assist the children of the new generation achieve their dreams. It was the true motive she desired to become a teacher; to watch her students blossom and accomplish their ambitions.

Caught in her own world, she had almost forgotten the time. She took another glimpse at her watch.

_6:01 pm._

"He's late," she muttered lightheartedly. Kyou had a tendency to become increasingly impatient when someone or something took to long. It was a bad habit, on her part.

She turned her head around, wondering if he was approaching from behind. To her dismay, she couldn't detect a blue headed figure walking. Sighing, she turned her head back, to find a person standing in front of her.

Kyou blinked. Initially, she couldn't determine who the male standing there was. He had something of a beard, albeit solely consisting of tiny pricks. Kyou couldn't see his face; he was wearing a hoodie that concealed his eyes. Yet through the hoodie Kyou could see a strand of blue hair. Kyou's eyes widened.

"T-Tomoya!" she began, jolting upward. Tomoya shot Kyou an uncomfortable glance, as though the two were complete strangers.

There was an awkward stillness between the pair, none of them having the courage to say nor do anything. Kyou was starting to feel overwhelmed by Tomoya's appearance; heck, his behavior was starting to disturb her. Before Nagisa's passing, usually after a long period of not interacting with one another, they would happily greet each other, playing poking fun. Now, they couldn't even look at each other directly.

Kyou began to shuffle restlessly, looking at her feet. Her mind was a blank; she couldn't figure out what she had planned on telling him.

"Kyou," Tomoya beckoned, voice not revealing anything. Kyou gathered the courage to glance at him openly. Kyou couldn't settle on what to say to him. His blue eyes were more intense than before.

Kyou frowned, unsatisfied at the tension between them; they were friends, weren't they?

Deciding to lighten the mood, she smirked. "Hey, Tomoya, look at the time. You're late," she shoved her watch into his face, showing him that he was a minute behind schedule. "You know how long I've been waiting? You shouldn't keep a girl ahead of you," she added warmly, a hint of humor in her voice. She noticed that although Tomoya remained sorrowful, his shoulders had loosened up, indicating that he was beginning to calm down. Kyou grinned.

Kyou patted the bench, showing Tomoya that he needed to sit there.

Xx

"Look, Kyou, I'm not going to stay with you." His voice was bland, simple, yet deafening cold.

Kyou didn't know how to answer him. Slowly, but steadily, she began to respond. "Tomoya… I don't know how you're dealing with Nagisa's death." she said this in a monotone…_tone, _to disguise her emotions. "But I won't understand how you're feeling. I've never lost anyone I loved so dearly." Her voice slightly pitched at this sentiment, due to it being a lie. Aware of this, Tomoya stared at her curiously.

She felt her legs grow weak, a symptom she experienced when she was about to have a crying episode. She managed to swallow her sadness in time to enlighten him calmly, "But life goes on. I try not to think about Nagisa because I know I'll burst into tears. I did love her too, but as a friend. You know, I've always been jealous of Nagisa because she took something from me I could never have."

When Kyou revealed this, Tomoya began to open his mouth, to which Kyou reacted by shaking her head, silencing him.

Kyou managed to get to her feet, and look at Tomoya solemnly. "Can't you just do this for me? I want to see you in better shape. You're, what, 20? You can't throw your life away!"

Tomoya suddenly stood up, fists clenched in anger. "You _don't _understand. _You've NEVER _been in love. You've _never_ _lost _the person you loved. Your _true_ love. What do _you know?"_

Tomoya began to pant, obviously tired from his long speech of ranting. Kyou wanted to defend herself, but she choked on her words, horrified. Her mind felt a wide array of confused emotions, which had passed through her nervous system so blindingly fast that she couldn't comprehend the meaning of them.

Kyou sighed, her muscles stressed. She gazed upon Tomoya, with a strange look in her eyes. Tomoya's appearance didn't falter.

"Tomoya," she stated clearly, able to find her voice again. "Maybe you think that way," she wanted to be honest to Tomoya in a way that she didn't have to reveal the truth. "But you don't know everything about me. This is where you're wrong. _Nagisa _wouldn't want you to ruin yourself, and I know Nagisa."

Tomoya seemed as though he had bit back a stinging retort. He turned away, knowing Kyou had won the battle.

But Kyou didn't celebrate her victory, as this war had been a tragic one. She put her hand on Tomoya's shoulder.

"Please understand," she murmured, though intending to speak louder.

Tomoya appeared considerate, and to Kyou's genuine surprise, Tomoya told her, "Okay, but when I find myself a proper home, I'm out."

Kyou, albeit attempting to conceal it, let out a wide smile.

_**Xx**_

_**Sorry this chapter is late! And king of boring… the plot does get interesting, this is sort of a setup. **_

_**And let me clarify, Kyou is NOT in love with Tomoya anymore. Was, but so far, she isn't, so that whole speech of telling Tomoya to forget about Nagisa's death wasn't because she's jealous and wants Tomoya for herself, she just wants him to live a happy life, not one of misery. Kthnxbai.**_

_**Next chapter will come soon… I hope. **_


	3. His smile

_**A/N : Updates from now on will be slow. I WON'T quit writing it, however. I WILL get this story done, no matter what it takes.**_

_**I'm not dead, I swear. I just didn't know how to write this chapter properly. Of course, I knew what was going to happen in the chapter, but, I wasn't so sure how to play it out.**_

_**Some characters might seem OCC, but, this IS an alternate universe. (AU). Alternate universe = alternate personalities.**_

…_**Okay. I've noticed that in my last chapters, there were some spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry about that.**_

_**As usual, read and review! Oh, and this chapter is from Tomoya's POV. **_

_**And, if you're wondering what happened to Botan, she's… dead. Sorry, but I can't picture her in this fic. xD (That shouldn't be taken seriously.)**_

_**Xx**_

"Well, this is it," said Kyou. "My home."

Tomoya's eyes widened, taken aback, and mildly relieved Kyou couldn't see his reaction. Though being only introduced to a small portion of her apartment, Tomoya longed to see the remainder of it.

Her home was surprisingly girly. Her walls were an ordinary pink and she had a neat, modern white couch in the center of the living room they were currently in, facing a flat screen television set. In front of the sofa, was a small table, which Tomoya assumed was for having drinks. Her floor was composed primarily of mahogany, which added to cozy and feminine atmosphere.

He unexpectedly felt dismay stabbing his stomach.

Kyou tipped her head in bewilderment.

"What's wrong?" she questioned sensitively.

For once Tomoya was unable to give her a legitimate answer. Prior to this, all the discussions Kyou and Tomoya had shared and when Tomoya didn't reply, it was habitually due to Tomoya's reluctance to respond; not that he never had an answer for her. But now, he truly didn't understand what had made him so anxious.

Perhaps the idea of staying with Kyou disturbed him. Kyou _was _a girl, after all, and he didn't stay with a girl since Nagisa's death. Tomoya furrowed his eyebrows. That wasn't it. He didn't view Kyou as another girl… he viewed her as, well… Kyou. How could he define Kyou? It baffled him…Why did he feel uneasy?

"Hello?" Kyou's voice brought him back to reality. "What's wrong?" She appeared apprehensive.

Tomoya, still unable to explain his emotions, forced a false shrug. Kyou eyes narrowed, and Tomoya sensed that she could tell he wasn't being entirely honest, but had decided that it was best not to pry. She pointed at a door.

"You'll be sleeping here," she informed him. "Do you want to see your new room?"

Tomoya grunted. He didn't like talking much anymore. It sounded abnormal to him when he spoke.

Rolling her eyes, most likely at Tomoya's ignorant behavior, she opened the door.

The room was relatively plain. It had a medium sized bed with white sheets and one pillow. The walls were also white, and Tomoya found it obvious to determine that this was her-

"Guest room." Kyou said aloud, completing his thoughts for him. "Since I live alone, I don't need two rooms. So, like I said, this room is solely for guests. Ryou usually comes over and sleeps here. She'll probably move in here with me, once she's allowed to, that is."

Kyou dropped Tomoya's luggage, flashing him a grin. "Let's get you unpacked." Tomoya slowly nodded, putting down the belongings he was holding.

As they began to unload his bags, Tomoya couldn't help but think about Kyou; he was perplexed with her kindness.

Kyou had always behaved harsh and laidback during their highschool years, which hadn't disturbed Tomoya, for the most part. She had unique characteristics; she would always straight forward with her feelings and had never taken'no' for an answer. Strangely enough, Tomoya had always admired her distinctive personality. She was headstrong and irresponsible; yet, considerate and perceptive.

She hadn't ever behaved to him in this charming manner, and while this particular performance didn't bother Tomoya, it seemed bizarre that Kyou would act this way towards him.

"Hey, Kyou," Tomoya beckoned. Kyou let out a small hum, indicating that she had acknowledged him, though not turning away from her task.

"…Stop it."—his tone was average, as though he had sparked up a normal conversation; there was no precise coldness to his voice.

Kyou seemed to have misunderstood his statement. "Huh?" She voiced, sharp with bewilderment. "Why should I stop unpacking your bags?" As she questioned this, she continued to empty out his baggage; like before, she hadn't faced him when saying this.

Tomoya frowned. "I mean, stop acting like that."

Kyou abruptly dropped his luggage. "Like _what?" _Her demeanor had immediately changed from positive to excruciatingly emotional. Her hair shrouded her expression, concealing her emotions. Tomoya stared at her, dazed.

But her anxiety had only lasted for a moment. She almost instantly reverted back to her regular persona. She turned to look at him directly now. "Well?" she asked playfully.

Tomoya narrowed his eyes. "You're not… acting like the Kyou I knew."

"Knew?" she echoed, astonished. "I'm the same ol' Kyou, not matter how you look at it."

"You're…just… too kind," started Tomoya, "It just doesn't seem like you. I don't have a problem with you, though…you've just… changed."

Silence. Kyou's reaction was difficult to decipher; it appeared to be a bundle of emotions, scrambling aimlessly; as though a tsunami of feeling had overwhelmed her.

Finally, Kyou took a deep breath. Slowly, she began to speak. "Tomoya," she said so strongly yet softly that Tomoya took a step back, "Maybe I was different back then…but I don't like that Kyou. I was self-centered and immature. I can't stay the same forever…but sometimes, change is for the better."

Tomoya didn't know what to say. He felt guilty for even bringing up the subject; after all, the atmosphere was between them was pretty decent, up until now. He didn't like seeing Kyou upset; actually, in general, he didn't enjoy seeing anybody upset.

The two looked at each other for several more seconds. Shrugging, Kyou went back to unpacking.

"…Kyou," Tomoya began hastily. He wanted to apologize, but for some reason he said something else instead.

"Thank you."

Kyou didn't look back, but Tomoya was certain he could see her grinning. "That's what friends do for each other, right?"

And Tomoya, for the first time in several years, smiled.

_**Xxx**_

_**A/N:**_

_**Erm, sorry if you found this chapter boring. It's still a setup, for the drama to come later on. C:**_

_**Tomoya isn't starting to fall in love with Kyou, fyi. He's just beginning to trust her- no, that's not the right word… warm up to her? After all, he was acting like a hermit for a while.**_

_**I think I should change the story to K+. Honestly, there's probably not going to be any angst and sexual themes in this story. We'll see how it turns out.**_

_**Thanks for reading, and please, read and review! Critiques are welcome!**_

_**And… I think I've given most of you the impression that I only write these stories for reviews. My reply? No. I really like getting reviews because it tells me what I did well and what I did bad. I write because it's fun. So… you don't have to review. It's just something I like, but something I don't really need. C:**_


	4. I need to help

_**A/N : Here's the next chapter. This chapter was sort of hard to write, haha. Enjoy~ This chapter is from Tomoya's POV. He may, however, seem… dense, in this chapter.**_

Xx

Tomoya sighed. It was approximately 2:30 AM, and he had been unable to sleep. It was his first night sleeping at Kyou's home. He shuffled around in his bed uneasily. He usually had bouts of insomnia whenever he tried to sleep, and today was no different. In actuality, he was subconsciously afraid of falling asleep, knowing that nightmares of that dreaded day would plague his mind.

Nagisa… why did he love her so much…? Why did she have to die…? The only person whom he had held genuine feelings for had died… and he couldn't do anything to prevent it. He was unable to stop her death. Nagisa…

Why was he even alive? He had no purpose to live. He was just a burden to those around him…yet, here he was, seeking assistance from a friend whom he had ignored for several years. It was pathetic.

He knew very well, that she was lending a hand to him, because they were 'friends'. But considering the attitude Tomoya had been showing her lately, to her, they should be no more than acquaintances. Tomoya had never assumed that of all people to offer help, that it'd be Kyou.

Her behavior today had given Tomoya an epiphany. Kyou wasn't the ordinary tomboy he had initially percieved her to be. She wasn't, however, a typical valley girl with cute characteristics. She was much more complex that he could ever make her out to be. The way she spoke, and the way she behaved…had constantly left a huge impact on him.

Irritation pricked at Tomoya's stomach. Why did he just figure this out about her now? She had sometimes indirectly hinted that something was taken away from her during her life, and that she sort of understood Tomoya's loss… but what did Kyou know? Kyou had made in clear in highschool that she had no interest in pursuing relationships, let alone show interest in boys. There was no indication whatsoever that Kyou had even thought about obtaining a boyfriend.

Tomoya rubbed his head, frustrated. Lately, he found himself thinking about Kyou more often. Kyou was just so… hard to decipher. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, or how she felt… which was aggravating. For several people, such as Ryou or Sunohara, it was usually fairly obvious to tell what they were pondering over. But for Kyou… her sudden mood swings and hasty attitude made it hard to verify her true beliefs.

Kyou stirred around in his thoughts until, eventually, he succumbed to sleep.

Xx

Tomoya's eyes gradually began to open. What time was it? The sun was out, something he could tell from the light pouring in through the window. It looked as if it was about 11:00 AM.

He wandered out of the room, which directed him to the living room. Kyou was nowhere to be seen, let alone heard. Was she still asleep? He hadn't taken Kyou for a deep sleeper.

That obviously didn't seem to be the case. A note was left attached to the main door. He started to examine it.

_Tomoya,_

_I went to buy some groceries. There's a brochure on the table about finding a job. I suggest you read it, it'll probably interest you. By the way, you'd better take a shower. I washed your old clothes; they're in the bathroom. So, go ahead! I should be back soon. While I'm writing this, it's 10:40. So, I'll be back in 40 minutes! (Or so.) If you need anything, call me!_

_Kyou_

Tomoya let out a sigh. Yeah, that was definitely Kyou all right. She could just come and go like wind. He scratched his head, and sniffed himself. He actually really _did _need to take a shower. Truth be told, he was wordless that Kyou hadn't mentioned it at all until now.

Xx

After taking a shower and changing into his clothes, Tomoya strolled into the living room, and sat on Kyou's sofa, bored. He wasn't entirely certain if he should just so plainly commit such an act, but, considering he was now Kyou's 'roommate', he felt that he should have some rights.

He sat there for several moments, thoughtful. Kyou's earlier comment had suddenly drifted into his mind;

'_There's a brochure on the table about finding a job. I suggest you read it, it'll probably interest you.'_

He had almost forgotten. Getting to his feet, he walked to the table and picked up the brochure. Taking just one look at the cover told him all he needed to know—no, just looking at the title of the brochure had fed him enough information.

'_The Hikarizaka Electric Company is looking for new recruits'._

That _was _the company he was working at before Nagisa's death. And he had been fired. What was Kyou thinking, even suggesting such an improbable thing? He'd have to beg to get back there again, and there was no way he was doing that.

Reality hit Tomoya like a ton of bricks. Had he forgotten all that Kyou had done for him? Kyou had been the only one to offer him a place to live. She was bringing cargo into her home, and, even though he had been living with her for only a day, she had already done so many warm things for him.

Kyou really was a true friend. He couldn't describe in words how grateful he was to her. He could only show his appreciation by action. And all he could do for her right now would be moving out. He knew that he had to try and get his job back. He couldn't constantly depend on Kyou. It would be unfair; after all she had done to help him.

Kyou couldn't get him out of this; only he could. It would be his gift to Kyou, finding a job. Because, given the position he was currently in, it was all he could do for her.

Xx

_**A/N : Before you say anything, I am completely aware that this chapter is BORING. I know I've said that for every chapter so far, but… it is. It's a character development chapter, so it's not exactly that important to the story, but it IS to understanding Tomoya better, and his relationship with Kyou. So, it's important if you want to understand how Tomoya feels.**_

_**I'm fully conscious of the grammar problems in this chapter, but in all honesty, I don't have the time to fix them. And… yeah, some of the writing is pretty lazy.(Yeah, it's kind of obvious at times… xD) But, like I said before, I don't have time… School exams are really holding me up… My apologies!**_

_**I've decided; new chapter every month! (and no, they won't be short like this chapter. xD)**_

_*special thanks to Dominus Tenebrosus for giving me such a detailed review!_


	5. Awkward

_**A/N : Next chapter's here! I added a cover.**_

_**Thanks a lot for reviewing and though I didn't have time to reply to your reviews last time, I'll make sure to do so for this chapter! **_

_**In short, I'm guessing that this story will have around 10-14 chapters. I'll see how much material I've got. (;**_

_**Xx**_

"..._Hello?"_

Tomoya hesitated. "Good afternoon, Yoshino-san. It's Tomoya."

"…_Tomoya-san? I didn't think that I'd be hearing from you anytime soon." _

Humiliation engulfed Tomoya; after all, he had behaved like a fool when working at Hikarizaka Electric.

"I-I guess."

"_So, what's up?"_

"…I know it's too big of… favor, but… I need to work at Hikariaka Electric again."

Silence met the other end of the line.

"…_Are you insane? Do you really think that they'd-"_

"Just hear me out," Tomoya interrupted. He needed to make his point clear. "Look… I know what I did was wrong. I do. I know I'll never be able to take back what I did. I acted like an idiot. I'm fully aware. But… I need you to convince the director to let me back in. Please."

Silence, once more.

"…_Tomoya-san, I personally have no problem with you coming back; you were a valuable addition to the company, after all. But you left us in the dust when we needed you. So if you think I'm just going to walk up to the director and ask such a bold question, then… you're wrong."_

Tomoya sighed. He couldn't blame Yoshino-san for acting so cold towards him. Tomoya had behaved like an immature child.

"I don't blame you…but to be honest, I wouldn't ask you if I didn't have enough of the good reason."

"_And what might that, 'reason', be?"_

Tomoya groaned, perturbed. He wasn't upset that Yoshino-san for asking such a question, but more so due to the fact that it meant he had to tell Yoshino-san something he felt embarrassed about.

"I've been staying at a friends' house," he stated tartly, "and I don't want to be a burden to her anymore."

Yoshino-san, once more, didn't immediately reply; he was obviously stunned by Tomoya's newfound sense of accountability.

"…_Like I said before, I don't mind if you come back to the company. I guess I'll ask the director to take you back, and do an interview with you."_

"Thank y-"

"_Don't press your luck. There's no guarantee that the company will take you back, especially after your actions."_

"I see."

"_I'll call you when the director tells me his decision. Can you give me your phone number?"_

"Uh…" he mumbled awkwardly.

"_Oh. I meant the phone number of the place where you're staying."_

"It's 064-1011-456."

"_Okay. I'll call you in a couple of days. Bye."_

"Thank you," Tomoya finished, hanging up. He felt overwhelmingly relieved that their conversation was over. Tomoya absolutely despised accepting favors from other people. Yet it seemed that was what he was doing for the majority of his life. Yoshino-san unquestionably sounded aggravated when talking with Tomoya, something that Tomoya had expected; how could he be even remotely kind to him when he had ignored the world around him?

He couldn't deny, though, that he was nonetheless troubled. He had put a burden on Yoshino-san, convincing Yoshino-san to get his job back. He sounded pathetic, like a dog begging for a scrap of meat. He wasn't going to lie. He felt sick from not taking responsibility for his actions sooner. He depended too much on others, and it revolted him. But at the moment, he was in no position to deny help. And he knew that he needed to accept it.

Tomoya looked at the time. 11:40. Wasn't Kyou supposed to return twenty minutes ago?

Well, it didn't matter. She had probably bought more food than she had initially intended. She should be back soon.

The door flung open. "I'm back!" Kyou announced.

She was grasping 4 or 5 grocery bags that looked dreadfully heavy. She held her hair up in a ponytail, which made sense, considering the extreme summer heat.

It made him somewhat relieved to see Kyou in a better mood, though; it drastically released the tension building up in him.

"Hi, Tomoya," she chirped, smirking. "Can you help me with the groceries?"

Tomoya was about to nod, but Kyou didn't wait for his respond and just tossed several bags to him. _Typical._

"Put the fruits on the table, and the vegetables in-"

"I know," Tomoya stood up, starting to walk towards the kitchen. Despite appreciating Kyou's kindness, he found it bothersome to have Kyou explain something so simple. He _could _do something as basic as putting food away.

Doing as he was instructed, he headed towards the fridge. To his luck, he then proceeded to trip and fall face-flat on the ground, dropping his bags along with him.

"Are you okay?" Kyou inquired, rushing to his side.

"I'm fine," he insisted, turning away.

Tomoya couldn't even describe in words how embarrassed he felt, but he dare not look at Kyou's reaction; he was certain that she had a smug grin plastered on her face, and he was not going to give Kyou the pleasure of admitting his defeat.

Picking up his bags, he continued to approach the refrigerator casually, as though nothing had happened at all. Once reaching his destination, he began to carelessly insert the vegetables into the fridge, trying to avoid Kyou's gaze.

He half expected Kyou to craft a snarky remark, but she just remained silent and began to sort her food away. He presumed that Kyou probably felt too awkward to make any commentary and didn't want to strain the atmosphere even further.

Tomoya just continued with his task, hoping to forget the whole situation.

Xx

After they were done organizing the food, the both of them remained generally quiet. Tomoya had sensed that Kyou was starting to feel discomfort at the unpleasant aura they were both emitting, so she sparked up a conversation.

"So, Tomoya… did you read the brochure?"

"Yeah…" Tomoya was starting to grow wary of Kyou's question.

"….And?" She pressed.

"I called one of the people working there. He said he'd talk to the director of the company to see if I could start working there."

"That's great!" Kyou exclaimed, pressing her fingers together. "Tomoya, I'm so happy for you! I mean,—"

"There's no guarantee I'll get the job." he cut her off.

"Still…I'm glad you're getting somewhere. At this rate you'll be out on your way—" she stopped abruptly, realizing how her sentence sounded.

Well, things got awkward.

"Oh, um…I didn't mean it like that," she insisted tersely. "I meant, I'm happy for you that you're back on your feet, but…"

"Yeah, I know." Tomoya wasn't offended by her statement; even if what she said was her intention, it was alright of her to say that. He was leaning on her too much and needed to become independent. All it did to him was remind him of the fact that he was essentially a leech.

But Kyou was clearly affected by what she had said. Despite the fact that she wasn't saying anything, her body language made it obvious that she was embarrassed by the subject of matter.

Kyou shuffled around uneasily, and Tomoya didn't know how to reply. He could understand her embarrassment, considering the unpleasant events occurring to him today, but unlike Kyou, he didn't have the charisma or courage to break the ice. Shrugging, he decided to avoid the whole situation by going to his room, and leaving when Kyou relaxed.

"…I'll just be going, now…" he said in a monotonous tone, starting to walk away.

He was stopped by Kyou, who unexpectedly reached out to his hand.

"Wait." She murmured.

Tomoya gradually turned his head around, eyes widening. She was staring at the ground, coy. She seemed as though she was searching for the right words to affirm something, but had difficulty finding them.

"K-Kyou?" he stammered, taken aback by the sudden gesture. For a heartbeat Kyou was silent, but gradually raised her head to now look directly at Tomoya, her fierce gaze piercing him. She seemed to be so solemn that Tomoya nearly took a step backward.

"I have to tell you something," she blurted out, "and it's important."

Xx

_**A/N : …Yes, in fact, I ENJOY making you all suffer. xD The real plot enfolds in the next chapter. **_

_**Bet all of you miss Kyou, huh? The next chapter will probably be in her POV.**_

_**Was going to wait 'till the end of the month to post this, but since tomorrow the end of the world, might as well post it now. (;**_

_**First, I gotta clarify some things. This chapter chronicles Tomoya's mind. How he acts like on the inside and how he acts on the inside are… two different things. That goes for other characters too, like Kyou. I didn't think I had to say this since it's pretty obvious, but Tomoya feels guilt for depending on others too much, but that doesn't mean he acts friendly now to other people. So he's kind of Tsunhun.  
**_

_**I know I said I'd make this chapter longer, but...yeah. the next chapter will definitely be longer. REALLY longer. xD  
**_


	6. Ruined

_**A/N : The next chapter's here. Thanks for all the positive feedback. The following chapters will be sort of longer from now on. You might be disappointed with the beginning of this chapter, but I assure you, it…gets better. –shuts mouth before proceeding to spoil anything- **_

_**Oh, and, whenever you see 'xxxx' it means a flashback.**_

_**Beware : this chapter contains cussing. Not too extreme, but still.. You have been warned.**_

Xx

Tomoya awaited Kyou's answer anxiously. Her tone had been urgent, yet, beneath its importance, it sounded mildly forced, as though if Kyou didn't concede, she'd surely regret it.

She seemed pensive, though Tomoya was unable to figure out what she was thinking about. Despite her earlier boldness, she had become mute, making Tomoya unfairly impatient.

"Just say it already," he told her. He couldn't deal with the intensity any longer; it was starting to trouble him.

Instantly she relaxed and let go of his hand. "Sorry," she started, "I… sort of…" She pressed her fingers together. "I kind of… told… Ryou… about the situation you're in." She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry I didn't consult you first."

…_Was that it? _Tomoya thought to himself, bemused. She had made such a buildup that Tomoya had thought that she would tell him something mind-blowing. But, that didn't seem to be the case.

She looked deeply troubled, which somewhat astonished Tomoya. Would Kyou actually get so worked up over something as small as this? He honestly couldn't care less if Kyou had even told the entire world, let alone Ryou. To be frank, Tomoya had occasionally thought of his former friends and how he had ignored them. He did actually miss them, to some extent. Though, he didn't feel comfortable if he had to see them again. He was certain that they wouldn't be thrilled to meet up with him.

"It's not a big deal," He clarified slowly. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?" It seemed as though Kyou had more to say rather than something so trivial.

Her eyes widened. "You're not upset?" Her voice was sharp with relief.

"I don't really have a reason to be…" Tomoya, once more, felt mystified. Despite having accepted the fact that Kyou had changed, something wasn't right. She was energetic one moment and sensitive the next.

"Really?" she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"What did you expect? For me to lash out at you?" Subconsciously Tomoya felt bitterness churn in his stomach. He was well aware that he wasn't pleasant to be around, but he had _some _decency to not overreact at something so _insignificant_. Even if he had been affected by Kyou's actions, he would have known that Kyou meant well.

"Of course not," she answered, "I know you wouldn't do that."

"So why were you so concerned?"

"Pfft, Tomoya, what are you talking about?" she insisted, forcing a laugh. She patted Tomoya on the shoulder. "I wasn't worried about anything. I just felt sort of bad about what I did, that's all."

He eyed her uneasily.

"Well, now that that's off my chest, I guess I'll just clean my room or something." She started to walk away. It was obvious that she was hiding something.

"Kyou, was that _really _all you wanted to talk about with me?" he asked suspiciously. She stopped.

"Well…there _is_ one more thing I need to tell you… rather, ask you."

"Tell me."

Xx

"No," Tomoya replied simply. Kyou winced; such a plain reply conveyed so many emotions. "I'm not going to _dinner _with you guys tonight."

Kyou furrowed her eyebrows, though not of frustration, rather, out of concern. "You'll enjoy yourself," she persisted. "The food there will be exquisite. Sunohara will be there, too. It'll be fun."

Tomoya looked away. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would they want to hang out with me? I acted terrible to them a year ago."

Surprise met Kyou's mind. She had always believed that Tomoya hadn't been aware of his cold attitude shortly after Nagisa's death. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

Though, Kyou was taken aback that Tomoya was taking this all well. She was deeply worried what he would think when he had discovered that he had told Ryou how he started living with her. While she knew that Tomoya wouldn't scold her, she felt apprehensive that he would be annoyed with her. Yet, he showed little to no emotion. Even over this, Tomoya still maintained his cool demeanor.

Kyou started to reminiscence what Tomoya had told her the day prior.

"_You're not… acting like the Kyou I knew."_

What he had said had deeply offended her. Tomoya was so dense; he never knew the real Kyou. Though, it wasn't fair to say Kyou knew herself very well either. She had garnered the reputation of being a bad-mouthed and aggressive girl who snapped at everybody who came across her. Though playing naïve, she knew very well that during school, pupils spread false rumors about her.

"_Who's that?" one voice would whisper._

"_Oh, that's Fujibayashi Kyou. I'd stay away from her if I were you," another would murmur._

"_Why? She looks nice."_

"_Yeah, well I heard she beat up a girl just because she wouldn't give away her lunch money! How twisted is that!"_

"_Wow. We should avoid her."_

Dismay would flood Kyou's heart, which would only make her even bitterer towards others. She knew that she had unfairly fought Sunohara and bothered Tomoya during their high school years, and she was trying hard to forget how she behaved. She had grown tired of that façade, and wanted to forget all about it. Yet, Tomoya had to utter such words.

"_You're not… acting like the Kyou I knew." _Tomoya's words echoed once more.

Did that really mean that Tomoya had actually thought that the real Kyou was just an obnoxious, headstrong girl who had no feelings or personality whatsoever? The thought of it simply depressed her. She found herself constantly worrying over people's opinions of her, a flaw she wished she didn't have.

"I won't force you, Tomoya." She told him evenly. She really didn't want to force Tomoya into going, albeit her wanting him to. Although she didn't mind Tomoya's company, it was strange if Kyou was the only person he socialized with. He needed to properly reconcile with his friends, if he would return to normal.

He stared at her for several more moments. "I really don't want to face them."

"You faced me," she pointed out.

"It's different."

"How so?"

He looked stumped for a moment. "Well… it because you're just Kyou."

"Isn't that vague of an answer?" she wondered out loud, half to herself. It seemed as though Tomoya was actually terrified of speaking to them once more, which somewhat startled her.

She remembered how he had acted towards them after Nagisa's funeral.

_xxxx_

_Kyou walked slowly toward Tomoya, along with Kotomi, Ryou, Sunohara and Tomoyo._

"_How do you think he'll react once we reach?" Kotomi asked worriedly. Kyou didn't answer, her mind too clouded with emotions of sorrow._

"_I don't know," Tomoyo conceded. "I hope he's going to be okay… I feel so sorry for him."_

_Kyou could hardly speak._

"_What do you think, Kyou?" Sunohara asked her solemnly. Kyou didn't look back at him. _

"_I think he'll be too wracked with sorrow to even acknowledge us," she muttered darkly. She wasn't angry at anybody, but didn't want to talk. She needed to endure her emotions of grief on her own._

_Ryou was now visibly crying. "Why did Nagisa have to…" she hiccupped quietly, tears gently falling down her fair cheek._

_He was sitting on a bench, facing opposite of them. As they slowly approached them, Kotomi was the first to greet him. "Tomoya-kun" She murmured, as they stood behind him._

_He didn't turn around. "Go away." _

_Everyone looked at each other fearfully. Ryou took a step forward._

"_Okazaki-san…We all just came here to…" She tried to hold back her tears. "…to see if you were okay."_

_Tomoya stood up and faced us. "Do I look okay?" he asked despondently. Kyou's eyes widened at his expression. He looked completely broken, shattered, with no hope of being fixed. There were no tears falling from his somber eyes, only pure coldness that not even the warmest of days could melt._

_Kyou turned to see what her friends were thinking about. Kotomi and Ryou had both started to weep. Tomoyo's expression was hidden by her light green hair. Sunohara was the only one able to look unswervingly at Tomoya's icy gaze._

"_Tomoya…" Kyou could only speak softly. Tears were beginning to cascade down her face. Yet she brushed them off, not willing to give in to herself._

_Tomoya gave nothing away. "I don't want you guys to be around me anymore." He told them harshly. He started to leave._

"_Please, don't…" Ryou pleaded._

_Yet he left, obviously too grief stricken to even care._

_xxxx_

No. Tomoya hadn't meant that. He wasn't thinking straight then, and that was why he had said that.

_xxxx_

_Kyou walked through the grocery store, whilst looking at her list._

"_Okay… Tomatoes, check… cucumbers, next." _

_As she deftly grabbed several cucumbers, another shopping cart crashed into hers._

"_Ah, I'm sorry," the voice swiftly apologized, until realizing who it was. "Onee-chan?" the voice piped up._

_Kyou turned around, grinning. "Ryou! I didn't know you shopped here," she teased jokingly, playfully jabbing her. _

"_So, what's up?" Kyou questioned._

"_Ah, Mom and Dad sent me here to buy some groceries for them. But, they still don't want me to move out. I'm guessing it's because they don't feel I'm mature enough to handle living by myself, even though I'd move in with you."_

_She looked at Kyou's shopping cart quizzically. "You sure are buying a lot of food," she noted unusually. "I know you tend to eat a lot when you're bored, but don't you think this is a little… unhealthy?"_

_For a heartbeat Kyou couldn't find her tongue. "Ah, well… you know how hungry I get during the summer! Ha, ha."_

_Ryou gazed at her questionably. "I guess so… but… this is a little too much. Almost as if it's for two people-"_

_Ryou stopped abruptly, clasping her hand over her mouth. "Don't tell me… you have a _boy _staying at your home!"_

_Kyou tensed. She didn't like lying to her own sister; it made it feel ashamed. "Well, yes, but not in that sense." _

"_Really? What's his name?"_

"_It's… Tomoya." _

_Ryou blinked, shocked. "Tomoya? You're going out with him?"_

_Kyou shook her head violently. "It's not like that. He got evicted from his house, so he's staying with me."_

"_How is he? Is… he still…"_

_Kyou shrugged. "I can't really tell. He just got into my house yesterday."_

_Ryou stared at Kyou wretchedly. "Poor Tomoya… I can't even imagine all that he's been through." She looked as though she was going to cry once more, though, to Kyou's surprise, she turned to her with a wide smile._

"_I've got an idea! Why don't we go to dinner?"_

"_Dinner?" Kyou echoed. _

"_Yes! I'll invite Sunohara-san too. I wish Kotomi could come, but she's in America. Tomoyo's too busy with her studies, so she can't come either."_

_Kyou fidgeted nervously. She wasn't so sure Tomoya would be so thrilled to join all of them at dinner so soon. "I don't know…" she began agitatedly. _

_Ryou's face unexpectedly became forlorn. "Please, Onee-chan…ask him. I want to be friends with him again. And I'm sure Sunohara-san wants to too."_

_xxxx_

"Please, Tomoya." Kyou begged. "Don't you want to patch up your relationship with them?"

His hair concealed his reaction. After some initial hesitation, he managed to speak.

"Okay."

Kyou gasped, delighted. "Really! That's…"

Tomoya interrupted her. "But I'm not going to wear a tuxedo or anything like that."

She tilted her head, puzzled. "Why not?"

"It'll look stupid on me."

"Nah, don't be like that. But if you insist, I'll get you something… not as formal."

_That evening…_

Tomoya stared at himself, somewhat embarrassed. Kyou had chosen a light blue plaid shirt and pure white pants for him to wear, along with jet-black derby shoes.

Upon asking Kyou where she had received the outfit, she chimed that they had previously belonged to her father, which made Tomoya feel even more sheepish.

He heard a knock on the door of his bedroom. "Tomoya, are you ready?" Kyou called.

"Yeah," he confirmed. He opened the door, to which he saw Kyou smirking at him.

"Do you like it?" she asked. "It looks actually pretty good on you."

Tomoya shrugged.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to get ready." She promptly sprinted to her room and back, holding two dresses in her hands. One was a flowing red dress with only one strap, and the other was a short black dress that looked tight. "What should I wear?"

Tomoya narrowed his eyes. "Do I _really_ have to help you out with something like this?"

"Well, you don't _have _to, but…" She gave him an earnest look at made him groan.

"Fine. I guess the red one." He really didn't even want to imagine Kyou wearing the black one.

"Okay. I'll go and change into it. You just wait here."

Before Tomoya could reply, she had already drifted into her room. Tomoya found it relatively hard to keep up with her. She was acting so enthusiastic about this whole thing that Tomoya didn't know how to feel.

He looked at the time. _6:00. _Kyou had told him that they were to be there at 6:30 PM. That meant he had to wait thirty more minutes.

Wandering out of his room, he sat on her sofa, and grabbed the remote. He turned it on hastily. There weren't many channels to watch, but it was better than doing nothing.

Tomoya was reluctant to see Ryou and Sunohara again, especially after what he had said to them. He had only agreed to all of this because he felt he needed to atone for his actions.

But what if they coldly rebuffed him? He was terrible at apologizing, and if he didn't do it correctly, they may not forgive him. His insecurities constantly got the best of him. He didn't want to experience the feeling of rejection.

He still hadn't even suitably apologized to Kyou. But he didn't know when or how.

A familiar voice interrupted her innermost thoughts. "So, how do I look?"

Tomoya lazily turned around.

He rubbed his eyes, making sure his vision was working.

Was that _really _Kyou?

She had her hair tied up in a neat bun, though her bangs remained. Her lips were dappled with red lipstick and her cheeks were a light shade of pink. She was wearing the red dress he had recommended for her, which matched her perfectly.

Kyou's eyebrow twitched. "Why are you staring at me like that? Is there someone weird on my face?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Er…no."

"Okay, then. Let's go."

Xx

"We're here." Kyou pointed. In front of them stood the 4 star restaurant, _Va Piano. _

"Wow… it looks… pretty fancy…" Tomoya drawled. Kyou noticed that he was looking at himself unpleasantly, presumably because he looked plain in comparison to the rest of the people escorting themselves into the restaurant.

"You look fine," Kyou told him kindly, "Don't worry about it. Come on, they're probably waiting for us inside."

She took his hand and they approached the entrance, where they would have to speak to the valet.

"Good evening," she smiled, "My name is Fujibayashi Kyou, and this is Okazaki Tomoya. We've made a reservation at table A1."

"Ah, Fujibayashi-san. No need for me to check for you," he opened the door for them. "Proceed."

Kyou flashed him a charming smile and, with no hesitation, entered, with Tomoya tailing along.

She noticed Tomoya watching her inquisitively.

"What was that all about?" he mumbled.

"Hm? Well, I work here."

Tomoya stared at her in disbelief. "You work _here._" He repeated, as though what she had said was absolutely ridiculous.

She scowled. Was it really that hard to believe that she could work somewhere high class? She was respected as a good chef there, so it would be natural that the waiters there would treat her dignity.

After graduating from high school, she had tried hard to make others forget of her violent persona and starting doing extra tasks in order for people to give her a different label.

She nodded slowly, albeit curtly. "Yes. I'm on a break, though, so tonight, I'm just a regular customer."

"Okay, okay."

As they paced themselves toward table A1, Kyou was able to see the familiar faces she was hoping to.

"There they are!" Kyou stated with excitement. Turning to him, she believed that Tomoya would similarly behave, but was disheartened to see him sulking.

"Come on," she gestured ineptly. Tomoya slowly followed.

"Ryou! Sunohara!" She called out. They immediately faced her, grins wide on their faces.

"Hey, Kyou! How many years has it been already?" Sunohara joked, provoking a light punch from her.

"Oh, be quiet, Sunohara. It's only been a week." Kyou teased back.

Ryou smiled. "Let's sit down." She invited softly. She turned her head from left to right. "Where's Okazaki-san?"

Kyou turned around, expecting to see Tomoya right behind her. But he was still strolling leisurely, his face shrouded by his hair. Finally, he managed to meet them, still remaining silent.

Ryou and Sunohara glanced at each other awkwardly. Kyou hadn't a clue what to think of the situation. She half expected Tomoya to just sit down without any commentary, and would simply be mute for the rest of the night.

But Tomoya lifted his head. "Hi," he greeted sheepishly.

Instantly Ryou and Sunohara smiled. Sunohara approached Tomoya and put his arm roughly around his neck. "Yo, Okazaki, just shut up and let's eat all the food here!" he chortled, prompting several of the customers to gaze abnormally at them.

"Hey, let's not make a ruckus," Kyou told Sunohara irritably. "Did you forget that I work here? Don't ruin my reputation."

"Ah..." Sunohara moaned gloomily. "Shouldn't we get free food then?"

"She's on a break right now," Ryou gently reminded him.

"Lame," he groaned, sitting down. "Hey, Tomoya, why don't you sit next to me? Unless you want to sit next to one of the girls," he poked.

Tomoya's shoulders relaxed, making Kyou relieved. They all settled themselves down and began to order.

Xx

"So… Tomoya," Sunohara began slyly, "It must be great, living with a chick like Kyou. Have you already made your move on her?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm here?" Kyou huffed crossly, "Don't joke about something that's not even existant."

"Well, he's not denying it," Sunohara pointed out.

"I'm not affirming it either!" Tomoya complained.

Several hours had passed by. Despite their pointless bickering, Kyou knew very well that they were enjoying themselves. The firm atmosphere had grown calm and it seemed as though their friendship was going to successfully resume. Kyou observed that although Tomoya wasn't smiling, the borders of his lips seemed to be on the verge of grinning. Just as it seemed he would going to give in…

He suddenly grimaced, surprising Kyou. Ryou was the first to see this.

"What's wrong, Okazaki-san?" She inquired worriedly.

Tomoya shifted around fretfully. "You…remember… a year ago, after Nagisa's funeral…" Everybody fell silent. "I said some things… I didn't mean to say…I'm sorry." His voice heaved with distress, revealing a side of insecurity she hadn't noticed before.

Sunohara and Ryou smiled. "Okazaki-san, we've already forgiven you a long time ago. I knew what you were going through." She comforted warmly. "We were all grief-stricken back then. We can't dwell on something that happened so long ago."

Tomoya looked back at them in awe.

"Okazaki, you should have figured that out by now." Sunohara smirked.

Finally, Tomoya was able to gently smile.

It seemed as though everything would go back to normal.

Until Kyou saw a man staggering right behind Tomoya. Despite appearing to be a gentleman, it seemed as though he was quite drunk.

He grabbed Tomoya's shoulders unexpectedly. "Hey, you," he croaked, making Tomoya cringe with disgust. "Who's this 'Nagisa', chick? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Kyou found herself narrowing her eyes. Who was this person? He was considerably rude, considering the fact he had eavesdropped on them.

Tomoya's initial smile had vanished completely. Sunohara and Ryou simply stared, appalled.

"Oh, wait, she died er something. Ha, figures." He rasped. Tomoya remained silent, and Kyou couldn't figure out what he was thinking about.

Horror quickly morphed into anger. She wanted to spit on this lowlife.

But she needed to maintain her self-control.

Kyou jolted upwards. "I think you should leave," she told him calmly, seething with anger. She was absolutely livid that this… _drunkard_ had come and ruined their night.

The man simply sneered at her reply. "What, guy," he turned to Tomoya once more, "Ya need yer girlfriend to defend ya? And yet you were talkin' bout that girl with so much emotion…guess ya didn't like that chick at all."

She saw Tomoya clench his teeth, making her bristle.

"Huh," he howled with laughter, "Not talking, huh? You really are a wimp. Bet you cried like a little girl when she died." He jeered viciously. The more this man talked, the more Kyou wanted to explode.

Finally, Kyou managed to stand up and walk up to this man. "Listen, you," she snarled, pointing her finger to his chest. "I work here. If you continue with this behavior, I'll have you not so politely escorted out of here. Do I make myself clear?"

Kyou tried as hard as possible to send him an intimidating glare. But he only continued on mercilessly.

"Go away, girlie," he demanded, "This has nothin' to do with ya. If this guy's so bothered by my behavior, he'd—"

He was interrupted by a punch to his face. There was a sickening crunch of bone under skin as her fist reached his face. He fell to the ground, petrified. Others looked in alarm, disturbed by what they had just witnessed.

Kyou shot him an icy gaze. "You're wrong," she spoke threateningly. "This has _everything _to do with me."

The man managed return to his senses, cradling his bloody face in his hands. "You…you bitch!" he shrieked. Everybody in the restaurant now had their attention firmly fixed on the whole scenario.

Flexing the hand that she had just punched him with, Kyou turned away, not quite realizing what had just occured. Her mind had been possessed with seething fury that was unable to be contained.

Realization kicked in. Her eyes widened, horrified. What had she done…?

She faced her friends, whose expressions equally matched her own. They stared at her, too shocked to say anything.

Several of the waiters came to assist the man. "Are you okay?" they started, reaching out their hands.

"Do I look freakin' okay?" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Blood streamed from his nose vigorously. He stood up. "Screw this shit. I'm never coming to this damn restaurant ever again, and I'm going to make sure I tell everyone I know that this restaurant sucks!"

He marched out of the restaurant, consumed by spite. Before leaving, he managed to glare at Kyou for a moment, before telling her heatedly, "I won't forget you, girlie."

A dark pit had opened in Kyou's body. All the people around her, excluding her friends, were shaking their heads disapprovingly.

"Such a bad mannered girl," one complained.

"Who let _her_ in this restaurant?" another frowned.

Murmurs flooded the entire restaurant. Kyou grimaced, dismay dropping like a stone in her mind. She had ruined her entire reputation. The reputation she had been trying to keep for so long. It was just like how it had been in high school.

In the end, she really was just a violent girl with no feelings whatsoever.

The manager, her boss, who had caught heat of the whole situation, approached her irately.

"Fujibayashi Kyou…" he started, eyes smoldered with rage. "I'm very disappointed in you. I actually thought you were a decent girl with class. But I guess I was wrong. Don't _ever _come back here again." He spat coldly.

She gritted her teeth, tears beginning to cascade down her chin.

She faced her friends once more, desperate to catch what they would say. Ryou only looked at her with sorrow, giving her more than she could ask for. Sunohara had a similar expression. But… what irked her most was Tomoya's reaction. He seemed to be…

_Mortified._

Kyou forced a chuckle. "I'm sorry, everybody…" she told her friends sadly. "I…couldn't control…" Before she could say anything, her feet started moving on its own and she fled.

_**A:N : / Surprisingly enough, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I've decided to post that in the next chapter. **_

_**Hopefully this chapter caught your attention. If not, my apologies! **_

_**I decided not to describe how the restaurant looked like, because I wanted to leave it to your imagination.**_


	7. You

_**A/N : Attention : if any of you are curious as to why this fanfic is rated T, I updated the first chapter and wrote why.**_

_**Thanks for the feedback! Am I the only one who listens to music while reading/writing fanfiction? I don't know. It inspires me I guess. **_

_**As usual, reviews are always valued and greatly appreciated.**_

_**POV's shift in this chapter, but I don't think I need to point it out when it does…**_

Xx

Confusion was an emotion that Tomoya had frequently encountered. It usually came when he was treated with undeserving kindness, or something he never would have expected occurred.

It met him again. Though, amidst the bewilderment surrounding him, he was able to discover something else flowing through him.

Shock.

_What…just happened? _He thought to himself.

When the man had started taunting Tomoya cruelly, he had been unable find the words to defend himself. Anger had been overwhelming him, yet he had remained silent. He hadn't been willing to make a scene. He had presumed that the man would eventually relent and leave.

That clearly hadn't been the case.

The man had persisted relentlessly with his insults, which had made him lost in a world of bitter memories. He had become oblivious to his surroundings and had been able to think about one person. Nagisa.

He had disgusted Tomoya, this man with his behavior. Yet, Tomoya had resisted the urge to violently retort.

That, however, was left to Kyou.

Tomoya had merely gaped at the entire incident, alarmed. Kyou had always been able to surprise him, something he had grown used to. But this…had been taking it to another level.

More so when he had heard her start to speak.

"_You're wrong," she had snarled, mouth practically dripping with venom, "This has _everything_ to do with me."_

Tomoya hadn't known whether to feel relieved or disturbed that Kyou had defended him. He had never seen Kyou so enraged that all he couldn't even think clearly.

He had noticed that Kyou was beginning to become aware of what she had done, as she had started to show obvious remorse. He had been repulsed when gossip had instantly erupted.

"_Such a bad mannered girl," one had complained._

"_Who let her in this restaurant?" another had frowned. _

Had they not heard what this man had been spouting? It was sickening. And yet, they had simply blamed Kyou without hearing her side of the story.

Yet, he had only been able only stare at her pathetically, without even confirming what had truly happened.

And then, she had turned to them, her friends. Her face had been twisted with anguish, and Tomoya hadn't said anything.

And then she had started to run.

Snapping back to his senses, Tomoya stood up. "Kyou- wait!" he reached his hand out, wanting to pursue her. He whirled around to face his friends, who didn't say anything. They seemed to be about as confused as he was.

But he didn't have time to think about that. He didn't want to think about such unimportant things right now. He just needed to find Kyou.

He hesitated.

Why was he _hesitating?_

Shaking his head aggressively, he quickly ran out of the restaurant, not caring that he had just rammed himself into several employees. He could've sworn he heard Ryou cry out his name, but he needed to find Kyou.

She was nowhere to be seen.

His first instinct was to go straight home. Kyou lived near the restaurant, so it'd be apparent that she would most likely be there.

Taking out his spare keys that Kyou had given him, he hurriedly unlocked the door to her apartment. "Hey, Kyou!" he panted, searching each and every room.

But it had become evident that Kyou wasn't there.

He shook with anger. Was Kyou really that stupid? Didn't she know that it was dangerous to wander alone late at night?

A disturbing thought entered his mind. What if…

He needed to find her before anything unthinkable could happen.

He rushed out of her apartment, stopping only to grab a jacket and momentarily lock her door once more.

Xx

Kyou panted heavily. She was still running and still attempting to escape the pain she had endured. She didn't care where she ended up; so long as it was away from everything and everybody she knew.

She wasn't one to pour out all of her feelings. She would push away her thoughts, knowing that she would regret giving in to her emotions.

_Why _had she done that? All she could ponder over was the fact that she had _punched _a stranger. He may not have insulted Tomoya out of his own accord; he was heavily intoxicated, so perhaps he hadn't been aware of what he was saying.

Yet, Kyou still felt furious. He had been so insensitive that it had made Kyou want to spit at him. She was befuddled that Tomoya hadn't reacted. She had expected him to shoot a tart retort at the very least. But, he hadn't said a word.

Something was very wrong with her. She had publicly humiliated herself. She made herself look like a monster.

She probably was.

She was haunted by Tomoya's expression. She had never seen Tomoya appear so appalled.

She stopped, gasping for breath. Her mind had been clouded by torment and frustration that she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings. She lifted her head, scanning that area she currently inhabited.

It was considerably hard to make out where she resided, due to the dark of the night, yet Kyou was able to figure out where she was.

Deiri park.

She'd never been in Deiri park at night, and she understood why. It was quite frightening. Nobody was there, or at least, nobody she could see, and the darkness surely didn't help.

If she had been feeling normal, naturally she would have avoided the park. But right now, she needed to be alone and secluded, so it was the perfect place for her to be.

A harsh breeze blew by. Kyou shivered, crossing her arms. She was still wearing her red dress. Her purse surprisingly felt lighter then it had when she first entered the restaurant.

She dragged herself to the nearest bench she could find, which coincidently, happened to be the same bench where she had sat with Tomoya a few days earlier. She simply decided to sit there until her emotions dried up.

Kyou didn't know who she truly was anymore.

She didn't think it was humanely possible for a person to obliterate her reputation, shock her friends, and be fired all in one night.

Kyou suppressed another shudder. How could it be so cold even though it was summer? It was stupid.

Kind of like how stupid she was.

She sighed somberly. She rarely cried, but when she did, it usually only lasted for several minutes. She had learned to restrain her emotions from a young age; being the older sister of Ryou, she knew that she needed to give off a protective and strong aura.

Of course, this was not always the case. The only time she had actually sobbed was when she realized her feelings for Tomoya several years ago and she did _not _a repeat of that scenario.

_Footsteps._

Kyou flinched, gradually turning around. Somebody was there.

"Who's there?" she growled, getting to her feet. She wasn't going to deny her feelings. She was afraid. Deeply afraid. She tried desperately not to let her voice shake. But, she still felt the need to intimidate her potential foe.

She was unable to see her opponent. He or she was still lurking in the shadows. Kyou felt more unpleasant by the second. She had never been mugged or…_attacked, _before. She had seen countless times on the news of such things occurring, and she had usually just brushed it off. And while she knew that she was able to shield herself, she didn't know what she was going up against. This person could have a knife, or worse…

Kyou didn't want to think about the possibilities any longer. She didn't have any more time.

Her eyes enlarged with dismay as she saw the person approaching her.

And it was somebody she really didn't expect.

Tomoya.

And he was _not _happy.

Quite far from it.

"Oh…" Kyou muttered , "It's just _you." _She put hard emphasis on 'you'.

She looked at the ground, distraught. She most likely looked like a cluttered mess. All of her makeup she had so carefully applied was now probably smeared across her face from her tears, giving her the appearance of a clown. Her tied up hair had collapsed all over her face. The only thing that hadn't been ruined was her dress.

But she wasn't quite worried about her appearance right now. What she was actually troubled about right now was Tomoya.

She could hear Tomoya start to come within reach of her, making her recoil. She really didn't know what he planned on saying, but she was certain he was going to rebuke her.

"Don't come," she said suddenly. She didn't want to deal with anybody right now. "Please… don't."

Tomoya ignored her demand.

"_Don't come near me!" _She shouted more prominently. She managed to lift her head. Tomoya seemed to be slightly taken aback by her tone, but continued walking.

After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped walking. He stood approximately three feet away from her.

He didn't say anything for several moments, which only made tension build up in Kyou.

"Have you got something to say?" Kyou murmured. "Well, hurry up and say it."

She received something quite different.

A nonchalant slap to her face.

_What?_

The slap itself didn't physically hurt her at all. But, for some reason, it hurt more than it did.

Kyou finally mustered the courage to look at Tomoya evenly. His eyes were smoldered with rage.

She was about to respond, but suddenly Tomoya grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you insane?" he told her furiously, now visibly bristling, "Don't you know that it's dangerous to go alone at night? What if I were a criminal or something?"

Kyou was taken aback. She gulped, rubbing her cheek. "I'm…I'm…" she started anxiously, but then shoved him away. "What are you talking about? I can do whatever I want!" she snapped stubbornly. Her previous despair was substituted with a more useful feeling. Spite. Not at Tomoya, but, rather, at herself.

And she decided to take out all of her resentment on Tomoya.

"And don't order me around, like you're my parent or something! What do you know about me? You don't know anything about me. You must be repulsed, huh? _Disgusted, _that you're acquainted with a person who hits strangers?"

She was well aware of how unfair she was being. Her ranting was, in a way, ironically proving that she _was_ a violent person, but right now, she wasn't thinking about that.

Tomoya gaped at Kyou. "What does that have to do with anything?" he said irritably. "And why do you constantly have sudden mood swings? One moment you're happy-go-lucky and then you get all emotional. What's that all about?"

"Because I'm scared!" she confessed, panting.

Upon hearing her words, Tomoya released her shoulders, stunned. Kyou wasn't fully conscious of what she had admitted, or what she meant.

She was too tired to care about what he had to say or do. She still needed to clear her mind. She clumsily returned to the bench she had been sitting on, distraught.

"Kyou…" he murmured, mystification edging his tone. "What… are you talking about…?"

She didn't respond. She didn't quite know the answer herself.

After several moments of silence, Tomoya walked to the bench and sat next to Kyou. Instantly, she felt unpleasant. She suspected Tomoya would bombard her with questions.

But he didn't utter a word.

Xx

The intensity of the dilemma was ripping away at Tomoya's sanity. He decided not to pry, knowing that Kyou would refuse to answer any of his questions.

He indisputably wanted to forget everything and just go back to Kyou's apartment. But he knew, right now, it was impossible. He wasn't going to leave Kyou by herself.

They had been sitting there for quite some time. It seemed as if they'd been sitting there for years.

"What… time… is…it?" she rasped, nearly losing her voice.

Tomoya was startled to hear her speak. He looked at his watch.

Tomoya looked at his watch. "11:30."

"It's pretty late," she mumbled.

"Yeah. It is."

"We should go home."

"We should." He agreed. He waited for her to stand up, but she remained rooted to the bench.

"How did you know where I was?"

Tomoya began probing through his pocket. He pulled out several of Kyou's belongings, which included her cell phone and her wallet. "You kind of left a trail of your stuff," he told her. "It wasn't that hard."

He handed her items to her. "Thank you," she said quietly. She looked on in dismay once getting her phone. She had probably seen the missed calls from Ryou and Sunohara.

She sighed. "I wonder what I'll do now… Now I have to find a job… this sucks…"

"Sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who hit that guy."

"Why did you hit that guy?" Tomoya questioned out of nowhere.

He expected Kyou to deny him an answer, but, surprisingly enough, she started to vocalize. "He made me angry. Why else would I do that?"

Her voice was hard and strained, yet was monotonous. It was apparent her emotions had dried up.

"Yeah, but… you didn't have to _hit_ him." He wasn't scolding her, but was trying to point out that it wasn't necessary.

She shrugged. "Well, I did. I couldn't control myself. I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you kind of are." He said. He took off his jacket, noticing that Kyou was shivering, and put it on her.

"But so am I. So you shouldn't worry about it."

Kyou looked away.

"The only thing passing through my mind is…out of all the people, you were the one _to _doit."

She appeared to be thoughtful for a moment. "Huh… I really do wonder why..." Something was hidden in her voice, catching Tomoya's interest.

Tomoya scrutinized Kyou carefully.

"You know, I've recently realized something about you."

"Hm? What might that be?" she inquired, staring off into the distance.

"You're a nice person."

Kyou snorted. "Gee, that makes me feel better." Despite her haughty tone, she smiled.

"Thank you, Tomoya," she spoke warmly. Tomoya unexpectedly felt embarrassed by her glowing display.

After a moment's hesitation, she began to speak.

"I took it personally when that guy started behaving like that. Almost as if he was ridiculing the depths of my heart. I felt so angry that someone could find such a serious topic humorous. It was painful, listening to him make such snarky comments about love."

She paused, and Tomoya waited for her to continue.

She chuckled. "Sorry, I probably sound sappy. It's just that, I can't stand those type of people who have no morality or dignity for feelings between two people." Her voice reverted to the dreary resonance it had once been.

A strange thought entered Tomoya's mind.

"By the way you're talking, it almost sounds as if you're in love or something."

"I once was, actually,"

"Oh," Tomoya didn't see that coming. He felt awkward; it sounded as if the person she had been in love with might have rejected her.

He was about to ask who, but Kyou, as though reading his mind, answered his question.

"You," she stated simply.

_**A/N : Yes, I enjoy torturing you. Bwahahaha!**_

_**I like the first half of this chapter, the second half isn't supposed to be dramatic, just so you guys know. I don't want the story to be immediately rushed into something dramatic when the story is just beginning. The second half of the chapter is supposed to be tame and calm. More intense drama will be put into other chapters. –nods- sorry if this chapter disappointed you!**_

_**What is Kyou afraid of? I'm pretty sure the last chapter heavily implied that.**_

_**Why was Tomoya hesitating? It'll be implied later.**_

_**Implication is boss. Yolo. –shot-**_


	8. Regret

_**A/N : I'm so sorry about this lateness of this chapter! I wasn't able to log in for a while. is like, glitchy on my laptop… I wasn't even able to read any fan fiction. (And, trust me, fan fiction is liekmylife.)**_

_**Also, I can no longer respond to reviews. won't let me respond to my reviews. So, it appears as though I'll have to respond to each of you individually here.**_

dvder10- Thank you! That makes me feel good.

ArvisJaggamar- Thanks for the review. While I truly understand your critique, I can't really comment because it'd spoil something that happens later on that contradicts what you're critiquing. Thanks, though!

Dominus Tenebrosus – I just love your reviews. xD And your story is just so interesting so far… It is a bit confusing at first, but I think I've got the hang of it. (I'm like at chapter 14) I'll give you a superb review once I catch up.

* * *

Tomoya hadn't quite heard what Kyou had said. No, he was positive he hadn't. Because, it sounded as if she had just nonchalantly admitted that she used to be in love with him.

Which wasn't quite possible.

So, Tomoya had decided to make sure his ears hadn't gone haywire.

"What?" he casually inquired. "I didn't quite hear you."

He expected to hear a different response, such as, '_it was some kid in junior high,' _or even _'Sunohara' _(the latter he highly doubted), but, still, it would _still _be proof that his eardrums hadn't ruptured.

Kyou was expressionless; it appeared as though she was distracted. She was muttering something, though Tomoya was unable to figure out what.

"Kyou."

She shook her head. "Do I really have to repeat myself?" she murmured. "It hurts just thinking about it, let alone saying it."

Before Tomoya could react, Kyou faced him. "Tell me what you dislike about me, and then I'll answer your question."

Tomoya hesitated; he no longer felt the desire to 'discover' what Kyou had said. Her earlier comment had been dipped with sorrow, which made Tomoya suspect that his ear were functioning perfectly fine.

That being said, he didn't want to answer her question. It was a bizarre question; not that he didn't have an answer to it. She was frequently haughty and suffered frequent mood swings. Of course, Tomoya wouldn't tell her this, so he decided to tell her which aspect of her haughtiness was bothersome.

"You aren't honest," he conceded, "I get the feeling you keep lying to yourself, and that's not healthy."

Kyou tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Is that it?" she said at last. Her voice had substantially darkened.

Tomoya nodded bluntly. Kyou remained mute for several moments, before managing to say, "I see…"

"Why are you asking?"

Kyou turned to Tomoya, face solemn.

"Thank you for answering my question. And to repeat what I said…"

She cleared her throat.

"I was once in love with you. And even though you say that sometimes I'm not honest, right now, I am being honest."

Melancholy was raging like a storm in her eyes. For some reason, Tomoya didn't feel shocked or surprised like he normally would have. A different emotion was tugging at his heartstrings. Sympathy.

He felt bad for taking pity on Kyou, but he couldn't help it. In all the time they had known each other, Kyou had been in love with him, and he hadn't even paid attention once. And every time she had seen him and Nagisa together, it must have tortured her. Here she was, declaring that she had once loved him and Tomoya was at a loss for words.

The tragedy of it all was the fact that Tomoya never returned her feelings.

What followed was even more nerve-wracking.

"And, you know what, Tomoya? What if there's a chance that I still love you? Could you be able to deal with the fact that the person you're living with may or may not have feelings for you?"

She eyed him worriedly, waiting anxiously for his reply.

Mixed emotions scrambled across his mind. He couldn't give her a justifiable answer, which was due to the fact that he genuinely didn't know what to say, _or feel._ How _could _he deal with the fact that he would be, for the next several weeks _or months_, several feet away from a person who used to be besotted with him?

He was fully aware of what Kyou was attempting to imply. It was almost inevitable, that if they shared such closeness, Kyou _could _realize her 'hidden' feelings for him, which could result in something…Tomoya wished to avoid.

How could he have been so naïve? He hadn't even thought about it. He'd been distracted by his own inner turmoil too even _consider_ about such a possibility. What aggravated him the most was that he had _never even realized _that Kyou loved him_._

It all made sense; every time she blushed when somebody suggested them being a couple, every time she grew despondent when he held hands with Nagisa. It _all _pointed to her hidden feelings.

It was very rare for Kyou to voice her mind, and yet, _here she was, _voicing it.

That being said, though… he'd never been placed in a situation like this. His head was starting to hurt, and the need to sleep was overwhelming. He couldn't even _think _properly.

Noticing his hesitation, Kyou's unwavering gaze started faltering and she turned away. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, standing up. "Can we just go home?"

He nodded curtly, observing the sudden change of demeanor. She sounded ashamed; remorseful. Though, Tomoya felt that she didn't have the right to feel as such.

Getting to his feet, he started walking home, with Kyou tailing along.

* * *

She was an idiot.

An _idiot._

_Why _had she told Tomoya?

Everything was surely ruined now. She felt as though she had started to build a strong friendship with Tomoya, only for her to now ruin it. She doubted things would be the same after her 'confession'.

She regretted telling him. She should have just lied. She was exceptionally talented at doing so, after all; Tomoya's words echoed in her mind.

"_You aren't honest."_

Upon hearing those words, Kyou had decided to try and prove him wrong.

She regretted venting out to Tomoya. Why had she told him her fears about possibly remaining in love with him?

She hadn't been blindly accepting Tomoya into her home. When she had made her resolution that she would let Tomoya stay in apartment temporally, she _had _taken into account that there was a chance that she would feel something for him again. But she had been convinced then that she wouldn't.

Now… things were remarkably different.

The more time she spent with Tomoya, the more fond of him she grew, and the more fond of him she grew, the more frightened she became that she still retained her feelings for Tomoya. She was authentically certain that she didn't, but…

As they walked, Kyou remained soundless. She had nothing to say, and apparently neither did Tomoya. She couldn't look at his face; she didn't want to see his expression.

Another depressing thought crossed her mind. She no longer had her job. Now she would have to look for one as well. She groaned. The only thing she knew how to do was cook. She'd be lucky if the restaurant hadn't informed _other_ restaurants of her treachery. How was she to support herself _and _Tomoya until then?

She stopped, noticing that they had reached their destination. Kyou took out her keys and promptly opened the door. Tomoya entered and merely went into 'his' room, without acknowledging her.

Kyou sighed, walking into the bathroom. She hadn't intended to bring uproar into Tomoya's psyche, but there wasn't anything she could do.

She looked into the mirror. She was a mess; though, in a way, it was relatively humorous. She was surprised Tomoya hadn't burst into laughing upon first glance. Taking off her clothes, she took a step into her bathtub and immersed herself in water.

* * *

_It was a cold, dark, moonless night. The streets were empty, with only the company of crows to rid it of its loneliness. In the distance, murmurs could be detected._

_Tomoya sat next to Nagisa restlessly. He couldn't leave her side; he valued her too much._

_Nagisa glanced at Tomoya apprehensively, noticing his concern. "You don't have to be next to me constantly, Tomoya-kun," she told him, "You should get some sleep."_

_Tomoya shook his head. "I can't. I won't leave you."_

"_Please get some sleep. You haven't been sleeping properly in the last couple of weeks."_

_Truth was being held in Nagisa's words. Tomoya found himself spending most of his nights fretting over Nagisa, immeasurably afraid that her disease would get worse. And despite the fact that she constantly reminded him that she'd be okay, Tomoya couldn't help himself._

"_I can't." He insisted._

"_Please?"_

_Tomoya sighed. "Okay, then." He laid his head on Nagisa's lap. "I'll just sleep here."_

"_Okay," Nagisa conceded._

"_Can you talk to me for a little bit?"_

"_What should I talk about?"_

"_I don't care… I just want to hear your voice."_

"_Can I sing 'Dango Daikazoku'?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Okay… Dango, dango, dango, dango, dango, daikazoku. Yancha na yaki dango yasashii an dango,…"_

_Tomoya had already started to fall asleep, the gentle tone of Nagisa's voice being the ideal melody. Nagisa smiled, stroking Tomoya's hair softly._

_Nagisa's voice had started to fade and suddenly her hand went limp._

_Tomoya slowly opened his eyes. Nagisa wasn't breathing._

"_Nagisa?"_

_He touched her cheek gently, but her skin was as cold as marble._

* * *

Tomoya gasped for breath, jolting upwards. He clutched his chest, panting heavily. Adrenaline surged through his body.

Upon realizing it was a nightmare, his shoulders relaxed, but he could hardly feel relieved. The intensity of the dream was enough to make him shudder in trepidation.

Though, he had started to grow accustomed to such dreams. He had suffered such night terrors ever since Nagisa died. Her death would constantly replay in his mind, haunting him for all eternity. As a result, he frequently spent many sleepless nights, relatively insomniac.

_Damn it…_

He wanted to forget about Nagisa. He _wanted _to move on with his life. But he couldn't. As much as he desired to, he hadn't the strength.

Love had only brought him anguish. If he hadn't met Nagisa, he wouldn't have felt so distraught. So…broken.

He gritted his teeth as he attempted to restrain tears from falling down his cheek. _I'm so weak…_

He was caught off guard by hearing footsteps in the apartment. _Was Kyou awake?_

He wouldn't be surprised. By looking out the window, he estimated that it was 4 or 5 AM. He didn't know if Kyou had been able to sleep or if she had simply woken up early. But due to the fact they had arrived back at her house past midnight, Tomoya presumed that Kyou hadn't able to sleep either. For a moment he wondered why, but then he remembered last night.

Tomoya honestly couldn't tell why Kyou had decided to inform him that she used to have feelings for him. It was in the _past, _wasn't it? So, why did it matter now? He then recalled another statement.

"_And, you know what, Tomoya? What if there's a chance that I still love you? Could you be able to deal with the fact that the person you're living with may or may not have feelings for you?"_

Back then, his mind had been blank. And it _still _was blank.

To be fair, Kyou hadn't sounded certain when she had confessed. Confusion had been prominent in her voice, almost as if she didn't know _herself _ if she retained her former feelings. It appeared as though Kyou had told him this as a test, to see what his reaction would be. And so far, he was failing.

But, if there _was _a chance that Kyou was still infatuated with him…then…things would totally change.

Tomoya _loathed _change. He _dreaded_ change. Why couldn't things simply remain as they were? He hadn't even been staying with Kyou for a _week _and yet, all this drama was overwhelming him. Not to mention, pointless.

His innermost thoughts were interrupted by a peculiar cracking noise.

He dismissed it, until the sounds became more repetitive and conspicuous.

Curious, he got up from his bed to investigate. He figured that Kyou would have already noticed it, but he decided to check anyway.

It was coming from the living room. Making his way towards it, there was a... strange sight.

Kyou was sitting on her sofa, watching television. She had her feet lazily adjusted on her coffee table, obviously not caring that the table was made of glass and could easily break. There was a bag of chips of her hands and she was devouring them hungrily; crunching excessively stridently. There were numerous bags of them surrounding her, all of them empty.

He hadn't _ever_ seen Kyou eat this way. Whenever they had lunch together with Ryou, she had eaten in the most careful way. Even last night, Kyou had been eating like a delicate flower. He had always figured Kyou to be incredibly fragile when it came to food.

To see Kyou like this was, well…

Tomoya burst into laughter.

Not out of spite. Genuine laughter.

His laughter gave him away. Kyou whipped around in alarm, and upon realizing it was Tomoya, she gasped in horror.

"T-Tomoya!" She whispered, startled to the point of falling off her sofa.

Tomoya continued to laugh. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard.

Kyou quickly stumbled to her feet, flustered, red tinting her cheeks. "D-Don't scare me like that!" She brushed off the crumbs from her face hastily, which only made Tomoya laugh even more.

"Q-Quit it!" She was blushing furiously.

Tomoya's laughing had started to relax, though he was still chuckling. He couldn't control himself. It was just too juicy.

"F-Fine!" she muttered, "if you can't keep quiet, then you can just go back to sleep."

Tomoya attempted to restrain himself, but was unable to. Kyou was glaring daggers at him. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped.

"Are you done?" Kyou asked sweetly, mouth dripping with venom.

"Yeah… I'm done." His voice had regained its monotonous tone.

Kyou sat back down, and Tomoya joined her. They both engaged in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, until Tomoya decided to speak up.

"Where do you even keep so many chips?" –which was a justifiable question.

"N-Nowhere. Can't we just drop it?"

"Wow… I didn't even know you ate like that. Is that how you eat when you're alone?"

She shook her head violently. "Of course not. I eat like that only when I'm… upset."

Tomoya sighed, knowing exactly what she was talking about. He had tried avoiding the topic, but it seemed as though it was unavoidable that they discuss it. But, what was there to discuss? Why was she so worked up over all of this?

"Why are you upset?" he questioned, despite knowing the answer.

"…I don't know why. I'm just… scared."

"Of what?" He pressed.

"… Of ruining our friendship because of what I said."

"Why should you? Don't friends talk about their fears?"

Kyou tensed. "Well… it's odd, though."

"You told me what you were afraid of… so… I guess I'll try and comfort you…even though that's not really my thing."

He paused, trying to think of what to say. After thinking of something reasonable, he spoke.

"Kyou, I trust you, and I think you already know how you feel. So, can you tell me?"

Kyou finally managed to look at Tomoya. She was deep in thought. She was positive she didn't; there was no doubt. But because she constantly reflected onto the past, she hadn't been sure. But, now that Tomoya was asking her in the most sincere manner with no judgment, her emotions were confirmed.

"I'm pretty sure I don't have feelings for you anymore."

Nodding, Tomoya stood up and started walking back to his room. Before he reached the door, however, he sheepishly turned around.

"Uh… Kyou… can I have something to eat? I'm kind of hungry…"

Kyou chuckled. "Sure," she told him, tossing him a bag of chips.

_Thanks, Tomoya, for sticking by my side._

* * *

_**A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. (: And that's the end of this story arc.  
**_

_**FYI, Kyou wasn't not afraid of falling in love with him again, she was afraid that she STILL loved him- wait, why am I telling you this? I can only presume you have **__**reading comprehension.**_

_**As usual, reviews are always appreciated!**_


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